Tipping wars; Americans less generous as more places expect gratuities, including Starbucks, Panera and McDonald's
“People are tipping less in part because of inflation, experts say. They are also overwhelmed with the number of places that give them the option to tip with a card on an iPad, leading people to be less generous.” People are being asked to tip in far too many places, including quick-serve restaurants such as Starbucks, McDonald's, and Panera.
Read full story100K Quinceañera for beloved pooch as over 300 guests pampered with Cirque du Soleil-inspired performers
“Alright, I'm gonna do this once. I've never had a daughter, I've never had a kid of my own, so I'm gonna go full-blown on this one,'" he continued. "And I did." A coming-of-age celebration has taken a new twist. Comedian Gabriel Iglesias, 46, threw a 100 K quinceanera for his beloved pooch named Risa. This article reports that the event included a band, DJ, and performers.
Read full storyLack of hugs by American parents blamed for the fentanyl crisis according to Mexican president
While it’s true that physical affection has many documented positive attributes on a child’s well-being and development, Mexico’s president might have gone a little too far. President Andrés Manuel López boldly claimed that American families were to blame for the fentanyl crisis since they did not hug their children enough.
Read full story$5 million payments being considered for black reparations in San Francisco
San Francisco city supervisors have backed the idea of giving reparations to its eligible black residents. The federal government’s promise of giving each freed slave a mule and 40 acres of land was never implemented.The more than 100 proposals include a $5 million lump sum. The final decision is expected to be known later in the year. Supporters of giving reparations point to the redlining and other restrictions forced on black people which determined where they could live or do business. A lot of black people immigrated to San Francisco in the 1940s because of shipyard work.
Read full storyRussian jets force US surveillance plane to go down over the Black Sea; described as "reckless and unprofessional"
A United States Reaper Drone was on Tuesday forced down by Russian jets. The high-altitude reconnaissance plane was flying over international waters over the Black Sea. The U.S. European Command released a statement saying that “Several times before the collision the Su-27 fighter jets dumped fuel on the drone in a "reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner..Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9.” As a result, US forces decided to bring down the drone in international waters.
Read full storyMichigan couple forced to adopt their biological babies; what the law says
After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Tammy Myers and her husband decided to use a surrogate mother. Their lawyer drew up the paperwork, and Tammy got her embryos implanted into the surrogate mother, Lauren, at a fertility clinic in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “Myers went ahead and applied for a pre-birth order for the twins but the twins ended up being born eight weeks early and the order was not approved in time.” The twins were born in Jan. 2021.
Read full storySilicon Valley Bank CEO, top executives, sold shares and paid bonuses before collapse; facing class action lawsuit
In an eerily familiar scene from the 2008 economic collapse, some high-profile banks walked a treacherous path before their inevitable collapse. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), “provided banking services to nearly half of all US venture-backed technology and life science companies..it also has operations in Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. SVB benefited hugely from the tech sector’s explosive growth in recent years, fueled by ultra-low borrowing costs and a pandemic-induced boom in demand for digital services.”
Read full storyBad prescription; nurses forced to pay up to 15 K to leave hospitals
Reminiscent of indentured servitude in the United States that started in Virginia, cheap labor was seen as a solution to plenty of work to do and few people to do it. “When Jacqui Rum quit her nursing job at Los Robles Regional Medical Center [in Washington] last fall over the heavy workload and low staffing levels, it came with a high price — a $2,000 bill from her former employer for training costs.” This was part of the contract that she had signed with the hospital soon after graduating from nursing school. Such payment is required if a nurse decides to quit employment before two years are over.
Read full storyDoctors remove fetus from the brain of a one-year-old in a very rare operation
“In an extremely rare case, doctors surgically removed a fetus from the brain of a 1-year-old child. Doctors found the fetus after the child showed delayed motor skill development, an enlarged head circumference, and a buildup of fluid in the brain.” Such cases arise from malformed monochorionic diamniotic twins, meaning the fetuses shared the placenta but had separate amniotic sacs. These twins arise from the same fertilized egg meaning that they are often identical, or sometimes semi-identical.
Read full story"Tourists don't injure 140 police officers by sightseeing", Pence says as he blames Trump saying he was "reckless"
“Tourists don’t injure 140 police officers by sightseeing,” Pence said. “Tourists don’t break down doors to get to the Speaker of the House or voice threats against public officials.” The former Vice President was speaking at the annual Gridiron Club Dinner in Washington, DC. In an event where jokes roasting political rivals flow freely, Pence said that he would not joke about the events on Jan 6. Saying that “history will hold Donald Trump accountable.”
Read full story900% increase in congenital syphilis cases in Mississippi over five years as trends cause concern countrywide
A very concerning development is raising alarm in the poorest state in the United States poorest state. Congenital syphilis occurs when a mother who has syphilis infects her child during birth. “According to hospital billing data shared with NBC, the number of babies who have been treated for the sexually transmitted disease has increased by more than 900% over five years.”
Read full storyTexas bill introduced to allow pregnant women to drive alone in carpool lane; unclear how pregnancy will be proven
Just five days after the Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion enshrined in Roe v Wade, a woman from Plano, Texas, decided to test the limits of the new ruling. Brandy Bottone, 32, became an international sensation after receiving a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane violation. Bottone, pregnant at that time, was pulled over by the highway patrol, and the officer asked her where the other person was. She pointed at her belly and said, “right here”
Read full storySlap fighting taking root as critics call it "stupid" while the former commissioner says "I made a mistake"
“The competitors stand rigidly upright with their hands behind their backs, waiting to absorb a brutal slap to the face.” Ultimate fighting championship (UFC) president, Dana White is marketing slap fighting as the next big thing in combat sports and is investing his money and resources behind the Power Slap League that the Nevada Gaming Commission has licensed “Chris Nowinski, cofounder, and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, agrees, calling slap fighting “one of the stupidest things you can do.”
Read full storyMcConnell, top republicans, join democrats in slamming Tucker Carlson's use of Jan 6 footage
“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Tuesday he doesn't regret giving video footage of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol to Fox News host Tucker Carlson.” Carlson and his team were given exclusive access to over 40,000 hours of security footage. That was in stark contrast with remarks by the senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, who said that it was a mistake for Fox News to depict the Jan. 6 events in a manner that largely conflicted with the assessment of the Capitol’s chief law enforcement officer.
Read full storyU. S. woman gives birth to MoMo twins; common complications and lifesaving precautions
“MoMo twins, also known as monoamniotic-monochorionic twins, share the same placenta, amniotic sac, and fluid. MoMo twins occur when a single fertilized ovum or egg results in identical twins and these twins share the same placenta and amniotic sac.” It’s not surprising that they are some of the rarest types of twins. They make up less than 1% of twins born in the United States. Momo twins can either be identical or semi-identical.
Read full storyBride incensed that guest chose to eat at a McDonald's; puts guest at fault for not bringing enough cash
There are civil weddings, which tend to be bare bones, and then there are destination weddings, which could end up breaking the bank. While there are all sorts of dramas that accompany what should really be a joyous occasion, none prepared me for a fast food chain option.
Read full storyCemetery workers step in to play matchmaker for a widowed goose; the lesson they taught about compassion
Till death do us part. It’s sad at any age but way sadder at a younger age when one spouse lives for significantly longer after losing their loved one. When Blossom lost her longtime mate, Bud, workers at the cemetery, which the lovebirds called home, noticed that she was “out of sorts.” Her behavior changed and she started spending more time by the front office, often gazing at her reflection on the glass windows and model tombstones. She was quite sad and lonely. The workers, full of compassion, sprung into action and played matchmaker.
Read full storyFaculty once used a native American as a live exhibit; UC Berkeley still holding onto more than 9000 of their remains
In 1901, Alfred Kroeber joined UC Berkeley’s faculty and became a renowned scholar for his research on Native American history. In his four-year tenure, he encouraged the excavations of Indigenous gravesites. “His name recently was stripped from Berkeley’s anthropology building, in part for housing an Indigenous man found in the Sierra Foothills as a living exhibit at what would later become the Hearst Museum. Described as the last living member of his band of Yahi Indians, the man — whom Kroeber called “Ishi” — was studied and made to craft arrows and greet visitors for nearly five years, until his death in 1916.”
Read full storyGravely ill patient' last hope; a marathon got in the way of a transplant organ's delivery,then this surgeon took action
From New York to Philadelphia, the driver carrying some precious cargo, a human liver, had made good time. That was until he ran into thousands of runners trying to beat a different clock. The athletes were on full throttle competing in the Dietz & Watson Philadelphia Half Marathon. Unfortunately for the driver, and the gravely-ill patient, time was not on their side.
Read full storyVaccine drama: Over 20,000 exposed to measles; an arrest warrant is issued for woman with an active tuberculosis case
An unvaccinated female worshiper may have continually exposed over 20,000 people to measles. The woman was attending the Asbury Revival in Kentucky. She was found to have the highly contagious virus responsible for causing the infection. The gathering went nonstop from Feb 8, to Feb 19. Officials cautioned attendees for the 24-hour session on Feb 18 that they may have been exposed.
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